Pedro Acosta, the new ‘The Special One’ of MotoGP

A special rider came to MotoGP this year, Pedro Acosta, which in two Grand Prix has turned the world championship upside down. At the young age of 19 years and 304 days, he scored his first podium in his second Grand Prix from an independent team like Red Bull GasGas Factory and with a KTM that is completing its eighth season as a factory in the MotoGP World Championship . – until 2021 it has ‘full’ concessions-.

This Sunday is also the eight-time world champion Marc Márquez He thought Acosta’s podium “is something different that he has reached. It will mark several years in MotoGP and this year he will achieve podiums and victories,” he predicted on the DAZN microphone.

Since his debut Marc Márquez in MotoGP in 2013 – he also did so with two minor titles won in three years – there is nothing like it. Acosta has also entered the top category before he turned 20 – he will celebrate them on May 25 – and the precocity records that Tro de Cervera left for history are slowing down this 2024.

This Sunday Acosta became the third youngest rider in history (19 years and 304 days) to ride on the podium, the youngest since the MotoGP era since Randy Mamola (19 years and 261 days) and Eduardo Salatino (19 years and 274 days) they did it during the 500cc era in 1979 and 1962, respectively. He stole the Spanish record from Marc Márquez, who was 20 years and 49 days old when he was third in his first GP in Qatar.

Other precocity records Pedro already holds in 2024 are the youngest driver to score points in the main category for his ninth at Lusail and that of the youngest Spanish debutant at 19 years and 290 days.

Now the next goal, another record owned by Marc Márquez, should be the youngest MotoGP winner in history. The one from Cervera has maintained it since Austin’2013 at 20 years and 63 days, his second career in the greats. Acosta has until the Sachsenring race on July 7 to beat that record.

To all novices rising from Marc Márquez only one winner in his debut year. He was Acosta’s KTM teammate Brad Binder in Brno’2020, his third, even though he arrived in MotoGP at the age of 25.

Jorge Lorenzo He was 20 years and 345 days when he won Estoril’2008, his third Grand Prix, which is what Acosta’s next season, Austin, on April 14.

“Well, we will have another question mark in Las Americas. Let’s see how the weekend goes. It will be a longer circuit. I think it will help us a little bit more in the sense of how our bike, with long braking and angles, but I don’t think we need to set goals. You have to have your feet on the ground. The weekend is fine, champagne and parties, and what’s not, we have to accept it and know we have to improve,” Acosta said Sunday about whether success is his goal for Austin.

As for the best rookies of the MotoGP era in the first chapter of the podium, they are all in their early 20s, Dani Pedrosa (Spain’06) and Jorge Lorenzo (Qatar’08) was second and Marc Márquez (Qatar’13), third, but they all debuted with what were the best factory teams at the time, Repsol Honda Pedrosa y Márquez and Yamaha Factory Lorenzo. In his second GP he was also third (Losail’21) Jorge Martinand from the independent team Pramac, but turned 23.